Communications

KerbSat 2, an additional communications satellite, is launched. It is identical to KerbSat 1, except for a longer range communications dish similar to the one on Explorer 1. KSEA engineers realized only too late that by the time Explorer 1 reached Eve, the antenna on board the probe would reach Kerbin, but the relay satellite wouldn’t be able to transmit back! The launch goes well, and the satellite is put into a high polar orbit over Kerbin.

Additionally initial construction work begins on a Aurora 4 – the first test of the full Mun-mission Sarnus V rocket stack. The current thought is to launch, test the docking and transposition maneuver, then re-enter to test the Aurora Spacecraft. If all goes well Aurora 5 should be set to go to Mun!

The second MunSat is launched – with the two satellites scientists hope that the entire surface of Mun can be communicated with! Next up.. a probe to Mun! Engineers release plans for the Scout probe…. an unmanned lander that should test the feasibility of landing Kerbals on Mun!

Construction begins on a new series of satellites – MunSat! Unsurprisingly, these will provide (hopefully) an extension of the KerbSat communications network to Mun, allowing future missions there to be safer and certainly much chattier!

The two satellites are identical to the KerbSat satellites, except that they will be launched on Discovery Rockets, instead of Horizons.